こたつの＿＿

こたつの（ ）に ねこが いる。
a. うえ b. した c. そば d. なか

Before I talk about the answer, I’d better explain what こたつ（炬燵） is.

A kotatsu is a low table with a heat source (usually electric nowadays, but formerly a pit of hot coals) underneath, covered with a quilt to retain the heat, used for keeping warm in the winter, as people sit around it with their legs under the quilt.

Now reading this explanation, you may choose b. した as the answer but the correct answer is d. なか. A kotatsu is the whole set of the frame, heating source and the quilt, so the cat is “in” the kotatsu, not “under.”

If you want to use b. した, you will need to say: こたつ布団（ぶとん）の したに ねこが いる。

I used to have a こたつ in Japan and the frame could be used as a table in other seasons, so if the kotatsu frame (in Japanese it’s called やぐら) is not covered by a quilt, you can say テーブルの したに ねこが いる。

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